Prayer Songs

I just finished praying and I am feeling very fired up. Many church members signed up for prayer shifts all day today. Tomorrow will be our Missions conference and we are praying until church service begins @ 10:30am. Each person takes one half hour shift and pray for the service tomorrow. In addition, I prayed for all the leaders, the ministries, the church families and our guest speaker and his family.

I learned from my Mom to sing old hymns when I pray. So whenever I start praying I will get a song in my head and I will just start singing some old songs (I'm talking about hymns from that red hymn book:)). I love contemporary Christian music but you gotta love singing those hymns too. They just seem to fit in when you start praying and get all fired up. Here are some of the songs I sang:
"Oh how I love Jesus", "Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary", "This is the day", and "What a Mighty God we serve." Of course I don't have a good singing voice but I was locked away in my closet so I didn't scare anyone (lol). That wasn't the reason I was in my closet, it's my hiding place from the kids. Sometimes you need a place to make important phone calls where people won't hear a screaming toddler and the closet works. I also had their daddy on watch duty (so they wouldn't come near the closet). Sometimes my 2-year old son likes to bang on the doors, he hasn't learned yet what the word "privacy" means.

Besides that, today was uneventful for us. We all needed to catch up on sleep so we took a mid-afternoon nap. Loved it!! I wish I would've kept on sleeping until tomorrow, I needed it that much. I don't generally take a nap in the daytime but when my body screams for one I have to honor the request. I cannot wait to get back to bed now. I'm off to take a shower and call it a night. Tomorrow should be a great day at church. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us!

Last Moments

Have you ever stopped to celebrate a last moment in your child's life? One of my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury, believes that if we realized that some of the moments in our children lives were going to be their last then we would probably celebrate them more. For instance, if we knew it was going to be the last time our child would hug or kiss us in public, wouldn't we hug or kiss them a little longer? Karen explains the importance of celebrating not only 'firsts" but also "lasts" in her book, Let Me Hold You Longer.

I have to admit, at first thought, the idea of celebrating a last moment doesn't sit very well. However, I am beginning to understand Karen's point of view. Last week we attended our daughter's "first" graduation ceremony. She was graduating from preschool and we couldn't be more proud. She looked stunning and performed quite well during their singing of patriotic songs and recital of bible verses. We were in awe of her. My husband even got a little emotional.


We celebrated this milestone and didn't give any thought of the fact that it also meant that this would be the end of preschool. She will be heading off to kindergarten in the fall and she will no longer be a preschooler. That thought hit me today like a ton of bricks. Today was officially her last day of preschool. Although they had graduation ceremonies last Friday, they had to attend school this week. They had a good-bye party today and there was not a dry eye in the house. We cried not only because we would miss the teachers (they are 2 lovely teachers) but also because we had reached a "last" moment.

Many of us mothers knew that saying goodbye to preschool also meant that we were saying goodbye to our "little" children as well. Before long they'll be teenagers, then off to college and next off to marry and start a family of their own. This is so hard to digest! The children couldn't understand why everyone was crying and kept saying "I'll miss you." All they could think about was that they were having a "cool" party and all the "treats" they were getting. It's amazing how our children don't understand the significance of "last" moments. Then again, most adults don't take the time out either to acknowledge and celebrate the "lasts." Maybe it's time we started!

What's Up?

I haven't blogged in so long! I know I've been missed. lol.
The Todd Squad have been under the weather for several days now. All 4 members of our family has had to deal with the cold in some form. There's been sneezing, coughing, runny noses and Adryana even had a temperature on Sunday. You could say that I had the least symptoms since only my throat was affected. However at one point I almost lost my voice and my throat was bothering me so much. Thank God for Halls! Just love those cough drops...so small but does wonders to a sore throat.

Things have slowly gone back to normal around here. In addition, Adryana started swimming lessons yesterday and she's not so happy about it. She has a fear of putting her head under the water and so far she's really not loving swimming. She's doing really great though. Some crying of course but not as bad as she's been years prior. I'm really proud of her! She's so tired from all the energy she used up that she actually felt asleep right on the rug in our living room. Crazy!

Bragging Rights??

Or just plain boasting...
My Dad has met people and said that he can tell right off the bat when a person is very "boasty" (referring to one that likes to constantly brag about what he/she has). We've often joked about this because when my Dad met Greg he said that he could tell right away that Greg was not a "boasty" guy. So immediately he felt hopeful that they would get along.

I've found that there are times when I am around someone who I felt was bragging way too much. This bugs me. I want people to be happy when they've accomplished something. I want people to rejoice and share their good news. However, I think we all need to be careful that we are not bragging too much when we receive something wonderful. We should definitely celebrate and share our good news with our friends but simply saying what we bought or accomplished is all that's necessary. Unless someone asks you to explain and give all the details, you don't really need to elaborate. Giving God honor, glory and praise will suffice.

Greg often say he watches what he says at work. He was told by his internship supervisor that you have to be careful what you say around patients because everyone has a different situation and when people are sick/in pain they are not always feeling "chirpy". They might feel depressed and hopeless and they don't need someone coming in there talking about how much they enjoyed their weekend on their yacht. You never know someone's financial situation so all I'm saying is be careful what you say. Sometimes you might have someone who is going through a financial strain (especially in this economy) and there you are talking about going on shopping sprees, taking several vacations per year, getting hair and nails done around the clock. These are all nice things to do and you should feel happy that you can do these things. Just be really careful how you are saying what you are saying. You might think you have bragging rights but who is it right for? Yep, you gotta it...it's right for you!
Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
James 4:16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Just A Meme

I haven't blogged in a while and would love to write a great post today but I'm really tired. Both kids have a cold and so last night was a sleepless night; waking up often to give medicine, put saline drops in little noses and also use bulb syringe to clean little noses. *sigh*

Since I am not in major thinking mode, here is a meme:

1. Three screen names that you've had:
- BamBam,
- ktodd

2. Three things you like about yourself:
- My love of reading/writing & thirst for knowledge
- I'm compassionate and a pretty good listener
- I 'm honest


3. Three things you don't like about yourself:
- I'm emotional
- I struggle with forgiveness
- I'm a perfectionist


4. Three parts of your heritage:
- Jamaican (with an interesting mix of European, Spanish and possibly other races- As the Jamaican motto say, "out of many we are one!")
- African
- Indian

5. Three of your everyday essentials:
- Prayer
- quiet time involving a good book, a long shower/nice bubble bath
- Internet/TV Time

6. Three things you are wearing right now:
- T- shirt
- capri pants
- glasses (I wear contact lenses mostly though)

7. Three of your favorite songs:(I'm putting song types)
- Gospel
- Reggae
- R&B

8. Three things you want in a relationship:
- Commitment
- Honesty
- Loyalty

9. Two truths and a lie:
- I recently turned 30
- I've got a glass eye
- I speak three languages


10. Three things you can't live without:
- God
- Books
- "Me" alone time


11. Three places you want to go on vacation:
-Hawaii
-Africa
-Australia

12. Three things you just can't do:
- Sing
- Roll my r's
- Draw


13. Three kids names:(I'm guessing what I would name my kids)
-Adryana
-Arjay
-Kerry and Greg

14. Three things you want to do before you die:
- Write a book (and have it published)
- watch my kids' marry and give me grand-kids
- travel as much as possible


5. Three celeb crushes:
- Will Smith
-

16. Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
- A nice smile and nice teeth
-not too much facial hair
- Ability to hold a conversation- I love to talk, you wouldn't know that about me when we first meet since I'm an introvert and tend to be very reserved, however when I get to really know someone I could talk you to death; just ask my poor husband.
And I guess it goes without saying that my loving husband happens to have all these!

17. Three of your favorite hobbies:
- Reading
- Writing
- Dancing

18. Three things you really want to do badly right now:
-Sleep
-read my novel
-a relaxing massage before going to sleep

19. Three careers you're considering/you've considered:
- Author
-Teacher/Counselor
-Catalog Model


20. Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
-As a child I enjoyed climbing trees (haven't done that in years)
-Also as a child I liked to fix things (mostly electronics) -I lost that by my teenage years and now it's just the bare minimum as far as interest in electronics.
-I like video games, not addicted or anything like that but I can get into it.

21. Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
- I’m a romantic...I love it all: flowers, chocolate,etc.

- I'm super sensitive; I cry over stupid things, laugh for silly things, get mad easily, etc.
- I love the color pink. I wear lots of other colors but I also like pink.

My Husband Made My Day...

All day I've been sniffing the roses that my husband gave me for Mother's Day. I love roses and I love my husband. I know that my husband loves me but that's not what I'm going to blog about.



I just got done reading my husband's blog and it made my day.
Wanna know why? Check out Greg's blog here.

Did you read it? And now you know how he made my day...yep, my husband is proud of me! It just melts my heart...I love you too Teddy (that's what I call Greg, shortened version of teddy-bear).

This is American Idol...

at least my thoughts about the show anyway. I'm really excited about tonight's show. It has come down to the final 3 and I couldn't be happier. I have been rooting for these 3 finalists since the beginning and I'm so happy that they made the final 3. I think both Davids' and Syesha are awesome singers. I realize that there can only be one winner (how I wish they could all win), so I am anxious (as are most Americans, I think) to see who will walk away with the grand prize.

I firmly believe that anything is possible, so unlike some people I will not declare a winner.
I think that David Archuleta is a great singer with a beautiful voice that could blow us away. He's also adorable and very gifted. I think that David Cook has pizazz and I love that he can make any song his own, regardless of whether or not it is a rock song. He's really brilliant, and a very talented artist.
Then there is Syesha. I've liked her from the beginning. I think she's got a lot of soul. She also has a humble spirit. She is a great singer, but every week she's had to beat the odds. She's clearly the underdog. She has been in the bottom 3/2 every week, and it has mostly been unfair. Even when she wasn't one of the worst singers she's had to endure going through the motions (am I staying or going home?). Each week had to have been very daunting for her. But she kept fighting and kept giving it all she's got. You gotta love that about her! She's been down but every time she bounced back and kept on going. That is not a very easy thing to do.

I disagree with Americans who say that Syesha is not going to win.
I say give her a chance. She's a great singer but some people have looked beyond that. Some people think that she should just be happy with a Broadway gig. Nothing against Broadway but why should she be satisfied with that when she has a chance to win AI too? Every year the votes on American Idol have been more like a popularity contest results than results of a singing competition. People really need to focus on the singing. People also should not judge Syesha's performance until she's performed. Don't say that she's not going to win when she hasn't even sang her song yet. C'mon people. I agree that the 2 Davids' are phenomenal but Syesha deserves to be right where she is in the top 3 and as such she deserves to be given her rightful chance to show if she has what it takes to be the next American Idol. Judge her after tonight's performance is over, not before. Yes you can have your favorites and you are entitled to your opinion (just as I am) but when you pre-judge you are being prejudice and unfair. Sorry!(as Simon would say, lol).

I believe it's fair game for any of the top 3. Personally, I'm happy with any of these 3 finalists winning. Any one of them deserves it. IMO, they are all fantastic singers and they've all had to work really hard to get to this point. If Brooke and Jason were still in the competition, then I would say that neither one of them should win. Based on their performances, they should have gone home a long time ago; way before Carly was kicked off. Since I love all 3 contestants, I am waiting until tonight to make my final decision. I want to see who "wows" me the most. I think all 3 contestants deserve that. Do you know how hard it must be for Syesha going in to her performance knowing that people are saying that she will not win? Imagine what that does to one's confidence. The bottom line is this: until we walk in her shoes we will never know. Let's not judge!

In conclusion, I have been faithfully watching American Idol from the beginning (except I caught the first season towards the end) and I believe that we can expect the unexpected. We do not know what the final outcome will be until the winner is announced. After all, it's the votes that counts. Until the votes are tallied, only God knows who will win. And like always, that's why He should be the only one to judge and I'm not just talking about American Idol. I'm talking about everything; God should be the only judge of everything.

P.S. Watch American Idol tonight and vote!!!

Happy Mother's Day

If you are a mother, I wish you a wonderful Mother's Day. I hope you will enjoy your day.
If your mother is still alive today, I hope you were able to speak with your mother whether in person or via telephone.
Let us also remember to uplift those who have lost their mothers in prayer today.
In addition, pray for those whose journey as a mother has not yet began.

My journey began over 5 years ago. I can still remember giving birth to my daughter and seeing her face for the first time. I can also recall a similar experience again when my son was born.
I am honored to have my 2 precious children. I am blessed.

As I was taking a shower tonight, I allowed my mind to wander to a time when I thought my future would not include children. That time was very brief. However, it was agonizing all the same.
My husband and I were married 7 years ago and initially we had a 5 year plan. Our 5 year plan was one that would allow us both to go back to school and get our Master's degree, to travel, buy a house and pay off as much debt as possible. This plan did not include children. We wanted children but not right away. We thought, oh we can wait! However, God's plan was different than ours. We were going to learn that in a HUGE way.
My husband and I were "baby Christians" and we were not trusting God the way He wanted us to. We were getting a wake up call in a BIG way. To make a long story short, 3 months after our marriage I needed to have a surgery that would change my life. This was literally a turning point for me and my husband. Without getting into too many details, I was sitting in my doctor's office one day (getting a diagnosis) and 2 days later I was prepped and put under anesthesia to have surgery. It was very surreal.

After surgery I woke up with one question on my mind, "will I be able to have children?" You already know the outcome since I have 2 beautiful children. However, immediately following my surgery no matter what anyone said (yes even the doctor), I was convinced I would not have children. I spent a lot of time crying about this. Days following my surgery I was on bended knees crying out to God to give me a sign. One night following that I had a dream and in my dream, I was the mother of a beautiful baby girl and then I knew. Without a shadow of a doubt I knew God would bless me with a daughter at some point in my life (it was not surprising that almost 2 years later we had a baby girl).

I had to learn how to put ALL my trust in God. Not some but all. The surgery was an eye-wakening experience for me and my husband. It put our whole life into perspective. No matter what else we have faced in life, we've always known that there is only one fact we can believe. That fact is we can always TRUST God. We have stopped trying to be the pilots of our lives since then; we gave that job rightfully back to God and He has never steered us astray.

God ways are not our ways. His plans are not always our plans.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

"Life Is Not A Bed Of Roses!"

I just got off the phone with my Dad and those were his exact words. All I could think to myself is, "ain't that the truth!"
Our economy is so uncertain these days that you can't help but wonder what is going to happen next. People all over America are anxious about losing their jobs and their homes. Many people are already facing those losses and they can't help but worry about their future. My Mom's company is going out of business, most of their jobs are being sent overseas and the company has filed bankruptcy. My Mom and her sister both work for the same company (different departments) but they will both be out of a job at the end of June. Of course my Mom is not happy about this but they are clinging to what they believe and that is that God is with us and He will never leave nor forsake us. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Yesterday I was in the Citrus Park area and couldn't help but notice all the businesses being closed down. It just really makes you start to wonder about the future when you see this happening around you. Everything really is up in the air right now and so there's got to be a whole lot of anxious people living in America. My friend and I were remembering how our grandmothers would insist that we were living in perilous times. Of course this was over twenty years ago when we were children but our grandmothers kept saying that we were living in the last days. It was scary then to think that way and it's scary now to see the economy the way it is. Paul Harvey once said, "In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these."

We just recently realized that a place by us closed down; it was a menspa and I made the mistake of purchasing a gift certificate for Greg for his birthday back in September. Greg never got around to using it (it's valid up to one year) so now the place is closed down and that money we spent went with them. I am not too happy about that. Greg said that he wasn't surprised that the menspa went out of business because he couldn't imagine how they would get a lot of customers, especially in times like these. He is right; people are more concerned about keeping their jobs and their homes and a majority of people are barely able to afford the basic necessity. However, some people are still doing fine even with the economy suffering.
We saw a couple pushing a cart with a huge flat screen TV. Obviously, not everyone is struggling. Life may not be a bed of roses but it is happening around us. Believe it or not, seeing the couple gave me a sense of hope. It reminded me that no matter how bad things may seem, there is always a glimmer of hope. You have to cling to that hope and keep believing that things will get better. My father ended our conversation with asking me to remember to constantly pray for them. You have to cling to hope and pray, not just for yourself but for family, friends, neighbors and the whole country. Prayer changes things and things definitely need changing in our devastated economy. Keep praying!

Monday Morning Madness

Today was pre-registration day for incoming kindergarten students at the school that my daughter will attend in the fall. It was a bit of a crazy experience for us. Why? Only because I had to bring my 2 year old along. We got there around 9:15am and trying to park was an event all in itself. It took us over 15 minutes to park because the car drop off line was going at the same time. Crazy!
After that we waited in line for over an hour. By the time we got inside the media center my son was all fired up and ready to cause mischief. Imagine filling out all the required paperwork with my son running around the media center. Ahhh! Thankfully, everyone was very helpful and supportive. Most parents were very understanding but some did offer unpleasant "looks" our way.
It was a very long process to get all the paperwork done. Lots of lines to deal with. The media center was also cramped because it was packed with lots of parents and kids. It just was not a 'toddler friendly' environment. Of course I already knew that and did not want to bring my son with me but I did not have a choice. Obviously I do not have many options once it comes to getting a babysitter. We have no family in town and on a day like today I really wish we did.
How did I handle all the madness? I paced myself. I did some deep breathing exercises and tried to stay calm. One thing I knew and that was that I did not want another headache so I put all my effort into staying positive and calm. It worked! We got through the morning and although it was somewhat chaotic, we did it and that is what is important. I'm glad it is over.
I did meet some teachers that I knew from the school I did my teaching internship at (over 4 years ago). They were transferred to this school about 3 years ago when it was just built. It was nice to catch up a bit with them. We also met someone who lives in our neighborhood and her son will be attending kindergarten too. Maybe my daughter will be in his class. I'm looking forward to my daughter's kindergarten experience at this school. I've heard many good things about the school and I'm happy she'll be attending school there.

He's Determined...

My husband has to be one of the most determined individual I know. I have known for a very long time that he is a go-getter. He never sits back and let others do the work he is called to do. He's always aiming higher and setting goals that may seem outlandish to others. The bottom line is that although he has high goals, he will work hard to get to where he wants to be.
Just yesterday he met a personal goal. He was determined to win the Corporate challenge (having the most people from a company sign up and run the race) for the May Classic 5k Race. Last year Albertson's won that challenge. He wanted to surprise me but I couldn't wait so while on the phone with him I asked him if they had won. He hesistated and I must admit that I wasn't as confident that he was going to win but I had hoped and prayed that he would have made the top 3. So when he told me they won, I was very surprised. My surprise quickly turned into being happy and proud of him.
I know this means alot to him and I am happy that he was able to do it. They received a trophy which he brought home with him. His face beamed with pride as he went over the events of the day. I'm so proud of you my darling. Adryana also accompanied Greg to do the 1 mile fun run. They walked and jogged through it but Adryana had so much fun doing it. She thinks that she won a trophy with her Dad and we couldn't tell her otherwise. She is so proud of herself. I wonder if she'll pick up running like her Daddy now?
All in all, I just know that without drive and determination, Greg would not have reached this place. Like I've said before, just having the vision/setting the goal will not get you to the finish line. It's going to take work, hard work. Hard work will lead you there. Tell yourself I am determined to be...(fill in blank). Then do the work that it requires.

It's A New Day!

One of the most beautiful thing about waking up in the mornings is knowing that it's another new beginning. It's a new day! It's another chance to get it right. It's a new day to make new choices, hopefully ones that are better for you.
At the beginning of this week while dealing with a headache that lasted 2 days, I also had to deal with an upset stomach for 2 days as well. I ate something on Tuesday for lunch that had my stomach in knots all of Tuesday night and on into Thursday morning. When it rains it pours, huh? I am feeling much better today. Back to normal!
Yesterday I was able to get out for a while and did the grocery shopping. I also biked for 45 minutes (the first time in about 3 days). It felt really great! Later in the evening, Greg and I took the kids for ice-cream at Coldstone. Delicious...mmmm...yummy! When we got back it was so nice and breezy outside that we decided to go for a stroll around our neighborhood. It was a very welcoming finish to our day.
This morning I woke up after 9 hours of much needed sleep feeling quite refreshed. I thought to myself that it really is great to get a new beginning each and every morning. It is so awesome that God loves us enough to provide us with all we need. His mercies are new every morning. Because of this I can have hope and so can you. Consider Lamentations 3:22-23:

22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Be blessed and remember it is really just as simple as a child sees it: Jesus loves you. Sing it if you have to but keep the tune in your head all day no matter what you are facing.
Jesus loves me
this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes Jesus Loves me
Yes Jesus Loves me
Yes Jesus Loves me